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London Marathon 2010 - Part 1

2010-04-27T13:14:00.005+01:00

Well. After 5 hours and 29 minutes of solid running I completed the London Marathon 2010, along with 37 000 other runners! It was a truly immense and intense experience and I've decided to do a special 3-Part Blog to cover just a few of the things that happened; God has done some truly miraculous work and taught me so much.

It all started back in April of 2009. I did not decide to do it because I was nagged into it or because my visits to Zambia and the Orphanages out there had instilled into me a measure of guilt from which I now felt compelled to act; no, it was because God spoke to me and made it clear that this was what He wanted me to do. A 'spark' of faith is all that's needed to start something and sustain it to completion.

As many of you will know, I began to build up the training until I was running 15 miles before Christmas; things were going well. And then I hit some problems. I sustained a number of injuries which took a while to heal and this meant that by the time I stood on the start line, I had not done as much training as I'd liked. On top of this, I'd been to see my Doctor four weeks ago (on the day of Esther Alexander's Gig) and he, along with a colleague who himself did a lot of long-distance running spoke the words every runner does not want to hear: "You won't be running the marathon this year, if you do your knee will get worse, you may even do long term damage to it and you'll end up having to stop running and walk it in 8 hours instead."

I vividly remember hearing those words and thinking, 'That's it, I'm going to have to withdraw and announce to everyone tonight the whole thing's off until next year." I was pretty gutted and convinced that I should not run; after all, not one but TWO Doctors had made it clear what they thought, surely people would understand?

Yet, I could not get out of my mind what I believed God had told me to do: run the marathon. After a conversation with Pastor John, who confirmed that I should go with my faith and overrule advice if I believed it was hindering what the Lord had told me to do, I decided to go for it, even with some considerable odds stacked against me. This 'faith factor' really helped reassure me through those weeks building up to the race that it was the right thing to do.

Around that time, I really felt the Lord give me a key text which would, as it turned out, sustain me through the whole thing: Isaiah 40:28-31 "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

These verses were fuel to my faith all the way through the preparation and build up to the day as well as during the entire race itself. At the 13 mile mark, I remembered seeing hundreds of runners coming in the opposite direction on the other side of the road - I knew this was where my race really began as there were another 9 miles in front of me taking me through the Isle of Dogs. I'd planned to have a 'faith boost' at that time and had written out the above verse on a bit of paper and kept it in my pocket for that moment. I'm guessing the runners around me thought I was nuts as I read this verse out loud to myself, reminding myself that what I was doing was a job given to me by God; He'd not told me to complete it in a certain time, only that I must complete it and He would sustain me and play His part, if I was obedient and played my part. I think the jelly babies I'd saved up for that moment helped too!

5 hours, 29 minutes and 3 seconds was the outcome. If we do it God's way we will always prosper even when worldly wisdom and well-intentioned advice says otherwise.

Run Fatboy Run

2010-04-22T14:27:00.003+01:00

Rather alarmingly, a number of people watched the comedy 'Run Fatboy Run' on tv last weekend and claimed it reminded them of me; I think it was more to do with the marathon running rather then being a bit on the plump side! I woke up at 6.44am today (despite a rather late return from an excellent homegroup meeting last night) with my mind full of marathon stuff: the logistics, the practical arrangements of getting there, getting back and the er...26.2 miles in between! On Monday I had a bit of a wobble and did not keep my mind under control, consequently all sorts of negative things began to creep in and it was a conversation with a friend on Tuesday (he had run the London Marathon a few years ago) who really encouraged me and spoke faith into my situation.

On Tuesday, as well as this timely phone call, we had an excellent youth session which included prayer for all three of us running on Sunday. Wednesday was another day of encouragement as hundreds of pounds of sponsorship have been coming in from friends and family (I'm getting ever closer to my £2620 target) and in the evening, our homegroup was extremely powerful as we worshipped God and prayed into a number of ongoing situations, including...yup, you've guessed it: the marathon.

God knows what we need. When He tells us to do something, He always gives us little 'encouragers' along the way to confirm and then reaffirm that He is with us and even though our feelings may vacillate, He does not. How often we have to be told the same thing! Remember Joshua? The opening chapters of his account are littered with the phrase, "Be bold, be strong, do not be afraid'; in fact it is the most repeated phrase in the Bible and for good reason.

This will be my last blog entry before I run the London Marathon 2010. I know that despite some things being against me, God is with me and He will bring me through. There will be times of darkness and light; times of ecstasy and times of agony as well as a time to start and a time to finish. Through it all I hold onto these wonderful words from Isaiah 40:28-31

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Please pray for all three of us who are running London Marathon for Aid International and I'll see you on the other side...

Remember The Poor

2010-04-20T14:18:00.002+01:00

The poor matter. Having read through over 100 Psalms in recent weeks, the 'poor' are often mentioned and we are commanded to care for them. Being 'poor' is not just about having no money. It can include widows, orphans, the sick, those in prison and, perhaps most significantly, a poverty of spirit that transcends material goods.

Psalm 41: 1-3 (ESV) "Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him; the LORD protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health."

Psalm 113:4-8 (NIV) says, "The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people."

Yesterday I was praying (once again) about the forthcoming marathon on Sunday. I was reading through this Psalm and I felt the Lord remind me that His pleasure rests on this work because I am remembering the poor; I am looking to resource them with good things in the midst of their material and spiritual paucity. Keeping a heart for and eye on the poor is something that will draw God's affection; as we care about what matters to Him, so He cares about what matters to us. This is more than just doing some work for 'charideee', no, this is an expression of Kingdom life and love in an intensely practical way and I do not think we will truly see just how important it is to God until we one day see Him face to face.

Turn And Face The Son

2010-04-19T11:24:00.002+01:00

Having been away for a week, I was looking forward to being back in Church yesterday. It was a Dedication Service and so there were a lot more visitors and guests present than usual (at one point it was standing room only at the back) and the whole morning was full of life and the occasional laugh too.

As we enter this week, my mind is now concentrating on running the London Marathon this Sunday. After months of training, preparation and prayer, this faith-fuelled endeavour is reaching it's climax. I've been doing some training, perhaps not as much as I would have liked, but I believe God is in this and He is with me - that's the most important thing. I'll be blogging more about that the build up to the run later on this week but needless to say, please keep praying for me and if you haven't yet sponsored me and would like to, please go to my webpage and donate today! http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JamesH

One thing that is important when you run a marathon is you face the finish line. Turning back, looking back, or even retracing your steps back to the start is not an option: it's madness. I am learning that sometimes all God asks us to do is to face the right way. We may not be running hard in the victories of life or even ambling through spiritual struggles and problems, no, sometimes God just wants us to stand and in so doing we face the right way. We face The Son, we turn our eyes upon Jesus.

Ephesians 6:13 says, "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Firstly, note that this verse GUARANTEES that there will be a 'day of evil'; those darker days are all part of God's training of your character. Secondly, don't be discouraged today if it feels like you have ground to a halt, it maybe that God is simply asking you to stand and guard the ground already taken from the enemy. During this time, don't look back but look up; look to Jesus (Luke 9:62).

It's as simple as that.

Home Sweet Home

2010-04-08T10:10:00.002+01:00

You need to be in a Church. Full Stop. It is a non-negotiable for anyone who is serious about following Jesus. I know that some people have had bad 'experiences' in Churches and take the 'I have no problem with God, it's the Church I don't like' view but that, my friend, is dangerous talk and an accelerated route towards spiritual compromise, mediocrity or even apostasy! God knows what we need and what we need is a safe, secure place in which we can grow, mature in our faith and be subject to sound teaching, correction and...at times...discipline. The Bible presents The Church as an army, as a family, as a Bride and more but however it is viewed, one can never obfuscate the fact that it is very, very, very important and you mess with it at your peril!

This morning, I read Psalm 92:12-15 (NKJV) which says, "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him." God reminded me of 1 Corinthians 12:18 (The Message), "As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it."

So many of us moan, complain and whine about Church. We choose a Church based on whether we like it. However, it is clear that God places, positions and provides for us a place in His body, of His choosing and trampling over that holy process will, at best ensure your life as a Christian is a very long, lonely journey whilst at worst it will ensure you slip into deception and propagate an independent spirit that will leave you in a spiritual dead-end with nowhere to go. I love The Church and I am keen to protect and honour the place in which God has positioned me so I can produce fruit that will last. Maybe it would be good for you too to reflect on where God has positioned you and if you've left somewhere and now have a 'problem with the Church' then recognise this for the excuse that it is and get back to where God put you.

No more blogging for a week or so now as I'm off to enjoy some sun, surf and sand in er...Wales. Have a great week and see you back here on Monday 19 April - Marathon Week! Bye bye...

History Makers?

2010-04-07T11:16:00.003+01:00

Well, they did it...after many years trying to crack the Radio 1 playlist, Delirious not only got airplay but reached the staggering heights of Number 4 in the UK chart with their song 'History Maker' just months after they er...disbanded. Still, it makes a change having something Christ-centred anywhere near the charts let alone in the Top 10.

I liked the sentiment behind the song; it reminded me that Christianity is both restorative and transformative. Both these positions re-frame Christian life; no longer are we pew fodder or just 'bums on seats', instead we become radical revolutionaries. This has nothing to do with strapping bombs to yourself and detonating them in densely populated areas hoping that this somehow guarantees you a better eternity, flying planes into buildings, forcing people to subscribe to your religious views on pain of death or even building a theocracy through the ballot box. No, Christian revolution is very different in nature because in all things, Jesus Christ is the example and He was both loved and loathed by different groups of people through Who He was and what He did. We should not expect different treatment.

This morning I was reading about George Whitefield and he referred to the bullying and intimidatory tactics of local mobs all of whom were seeking to run him and other Christian ministers out of a local town.

"About the beginning of July last, their opposition [i.e. of the mob] seemed to rise to the highest. For several days they assembled in great bodies, broke the windows and mobbed the people to such a degree that many expected to be murdered and hid themselves in holes and corners to avoid the rage of their adversaries. Once, when I was there, they continued from four in the afternoon till midnight, rioting, giving loud huzzas, casting dirt upon the hearers and making proclamations, "That no anabaptists, presbyterians etc should preach there, upon pain of being put into a tan pit and afterwards a brook." At one time they pulled one or two women down the stairs by the hair of their heads. And on the 10 July they...forced into Mr. Adams' house [a local preacher] ... took him out of his house and threw him into a tan-pit full of noisome things and stagnated water." (Taken from The Life and Times of George Whitfield by Robert Philip p.279).

History is littered with Christians who have been persecuted for their beliefs but maintained a steady course through those choppy waters to emerge triumphant on the other side, even if that resulted in them seeing Jesus sooner than they'd thought; death is not a defeat. However, we should also remember that there are some aspects of our radical revolutionary lifestyle in Christ which DO appeal to the world. We can often take an 'either/or' position and forget that we can also expect to be welcomed and well-received as we work out this 'Good News'.

Tim Keller writes "if you live out the life Christ wants you to live, there will always be some overlap with your surrounding culture in which they admire much of what you do, and they will be offended by other things you do...whatever you are, if you simply live out your counter cultural servant life, part of what you do will be attractive and part of what you do will be offensive and you have to let the chips fall where they may. You will be a saviour to those who are being saved and you will be a stench to those who are not. So you will be both attractive and repulsive." (Taken from The Supremacy of Christ in a Post-Modern World (Eds) John Piper and Justin Taylor at p. 152).

More youth work is done in this country by Christian-based groups than by their statutory sector counterparts. Inner city deprivation and poverty are all being tackled by hundreds and thousands of revolutionary Christians. Palliative care and support for elderly people is often underpinned by Christian values and beliefs. Millions of pounds are donated every year and given to charities by Christians themselves. As Keller writes, we can expect to be BOTH attractive AND repulsive to this world and not be phased when the tide turns or the winds of popularity grow a little chilly.

Just remember: you are living a revolutionary life in Christ Jesus and that's all that counts.

Facedown - An Encounter with the Holy Spirit

2010-04-01T12:55:00.003+01:00

Wow. Wow. Wow. That's all I can say after last night's Holy Spirit Evening. It was one of the most powerful times of worship I have ever been in - and that's saying something as I've been in a few over 21 years of being a Christian! There was a tangible 'weight' of God's presence. The prophetic flowed strong and clear through the entire 3 hours and at times I was simply lost in worship, unable to focus on anyone else or anything else except Jesus Christ. Writers (especially bloggers!) can be guilty of holy hyperbole sometimes, but this is no exaggeration for effect, this was real. Like many of you, I'd come off the back of a very demanding and busy day and the thought of leading worship for three hours was er...a challenge to say the least! However, when we stop trying to do God's work in our strength and instead rely on the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit, we go to places, the likes of which we can only dream of.

This morning I was reflecting on this awesome encounter time and read through Psalm 78. I came across the following verses (78:65-72 taken from The Message version), "Suddenly the Lord was up on his feet like someone roused from deep sleep, shouting like a drunken warrior. He hit his enemies hard, sent them running, yelping, not daring to look back. He disqualified Joseph as leader, told Ephraim he didn't have what it takes, and chose the Tribe of Judah instead, Mount Zion, which he loves so much."

I felt that God was 'up on His feet' last night, moving in a truly awe-inspiring way. There was a supernatural power flowing through the meeting and at times it felt like God was reminding us that He is a Mighty Warrior. We experienced a fresh 'fear of the Lord' as we saw His awesome majesty speaking and moving and inhabiting the praises of His people - don't mess with God. What I treasured in my own heart was the sense of God's pleasure over us; His precious Spirit marking us as His own, His reassurance that we do have 'what it takes' and our election and selection by God is rock solid.

Have a wonderful Easter break, I'll be back here on Tuesday for some more blogging. Don't forget there IS a prayer meeting on Easter Saturday from 7.30am and if you can get involved with any of the CTK events over the weekend, please go for it. Our Easter Family Service is on Sunday from 10am and promises to be a very special, family-friendly meeting with Puppets, worship, fun, games and that all important Easter message.

Jesus is alive!

Down But Not Out

2010-03-30T11:34:00.002+01:00

Some of the Psalms leave me feeling a bit uneasy; it's their rawness and reality, their boldness and bravery, their directness and desperation all blended together to give us a ring-side view of the ups and downs of what it really means to follow God. Occasionally, the Psalmist has addressed God with such force and passion that it has seemed almost rude; from the depths of their hurt, pain, confusion, suffering and sometimes sin, a cry has risen up from within them and exploded with such force that no spiritual platitudes or wallpapering can cover it up. Yet, it clearly is OK to be real with God because this is a Psalm in the Bible. If we were not meant to see it, God would not have added it!

This morning, I continued my study of the Psalms and came to Psalm 77. Yet again, I found myself double checking that I was actually reading the Bible, such was the raw passion and desperation of Asaph (the writer) to break through and find God in what we can only assume was a dire situation. His determined belligerence shines through and I love the fact that he is looking to God and God alone; he reaches out even when he's down and out. I've noticed that God often waits for us to take the initiative towards Him first and then He responds.

Asaph is handling a plethora of feelings and sensations, all of which were shouting contradictory messages into his ear: distress (v2), exhaustion and fatigue (v2), discomfort (v2), groaning, (v3), a troubled spirit (v4), rejection (v7), an absence of God's presence (v8) and more. If we had been a 'fly on the wall', listening to this man cry out to God in the secret place, I think we would have heard shouts and cries and sobs and a relentless pressing in from a spirit in great distress. It would have been a holy moment but an extremely uncomfortable one.

But Asaph discovered a secret that brought him the comfort for which his soul longed: he remembered God's WORD and His WORKS. A number of verses point us to a wonderful secret that, when applied to our lives, unlock peace, grace and the therapy of God's presence (v3 "I remembered..", v5 "I thought..", v6 "I remembered..", v11 "I will remember..", v12 "I will meditate..", "[I will] consider..", v13 "Your ways, O God, are holy..", v14 "You are the God who performs miracles.." and vs16-20 which detail His creative work in creation).

Aspah did not focus on the cacophony of voices all shouting that God was nowhere to be found, instead he remembered God's words over his life and His works through his life. When I get to heaven and meet Aspah, I'm going to ask him what happened next but I'm guessing he got back up and went forward stronger in his faith than ever before (Proverbs 24:16).

Blame God or Bless God?

2010-03-29T09:55:00.004+01:00

We had a great meeting yesterday. Despite a few people forgetting to put their clocks forward, the Church soon filled up with expectant believers ready to meet with God. Dave and the Band really sparked faith as they led us in one of the Kingdom Faith 'anthems' from last year ("Rise Up!") and there was a powerful time of ministry to the sick and those wanting healing. Jackie delivered an excellent message and if you've not already listened to it, go to our homepage or itunes and download it for free! Her story about the 'voice-controlled' tv is especially good.

During the meeting we watched a clip from You Tube detailing an amazing event which took place in Haiti back in February. As you know, at the start of 2010, they suffered a catastrophic earthquake which killed over 200 000 people as well as injuring many more. One month on from that, their President cancelled the annual Mardi Gras and called a three day prayer and fast. This extraordinary event was not even mentioned by the BBC etc despite 1 000 000 Haitians turning up to pray and seek God for their broken country. Check out the link and watch the clip for yourself... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30rWm84z-zg

The faith of these people really challenged me; how often do I look at circumstances and allow them to dictate to me Who God is and what He's doing in my life? When things are difficult do we forget that God is always good regardless of the storms swirling around us? The Psalms continue to inspire me, not least because the writers of these faith songs always bless God and never blame Him, even when faced with tragedy, trial or testing.

Psalm 66:8-12 says, "Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance."

When we raise our hands and bless God in the midst of difficult situations, we are unlocking a flow of grace that allows Him to move us into a better place. Clearly, the above Psalm reveals this principle to us again: blessing God brings a blessing back and leads us to a place of blessing, something that is totally unavailable to us when we are moaning and complaining and blaming. A whole generation of Israelites died because they blamed God; they did not make it into the promised land. I pray God helps me be a man who always blesses Him even when the going gets tough. I pray you do the same...

Diary Dates

2010-03-26T10:31:00.003Z

Lots of good things are coming up as we approach Easter so I thought I'd do a simple 'dates for your diary' piece today... a nice easy blog entry to ease you into the weekend!

Tonight is my special charity gig with Esther Alexander. This is my last major fundraising effort before I run the marathon on 25 April. Tickets still available, £7.50 on the door. There will be refreshments and a raffle too.

Saturday 27 March is our early morning prayer meeting from 7.30am in the King's Rooms lounge. They are consistently amazing times and, as Pastor John encouraged us at a recent Family Time, they are really worth getting along to if you can!

Sunday 28 March is our monthly Guest Service and Jackie will be sharing the Gospel so pray and invite friends along to that. They are always really fruitful times and it is important we regularly preach the good news of Jesus.

Wednesday 31 March is a special Holy Spirit Night. After quite a long break from these wonderful evenings, we can look forward to the first one of 2010. Set in a more relaxed 'dip in and dip out' style of meeting, we will kick off at 7pm and continue to worship and be led by God for the duration of the evening usually ending around 10pm. They are very special times.

Friday 2 April (Good Friday) there will be a special service from 9.45am at the Salvation Army followed by a march to Kingswood Precinct. From 11am-11.30am we will be seeking to provide a meaningful expression of witness to people in the local area.

Sunday 4 April (Easter Sunday) CTK will be holding a 7am communion at Hanham Mount followed by breakfast at Church of Ascension. We will kick off our own Easter celebrations with a special Family Service from 10am in the Bourne Chapel.

Tuesday 6 April will be our youth social to Hollywood Bowl (more information on the website diary and booking forms on the Youth Notice Board). Kick off 11am, arrive back in the Church Car Park from 2.30pm.

Finally, we will NOT be having early morning prayer meetings on Wednesday 7, Saturday 10th and Wednesday 14 April. Normal service will be resumed on Saturday 17 April at 7.30am.

You've been warned! Have a great weekend.

In Therapy...

2010-03-23T09:41:00.002Z

I am a counsellor, I have been for nearly a decade. These days, my counselling skills help me in my pastoral work within the Church and, one day a week, I run a counselling service for a secondary school. Being in a school environment keeps me on my toes and although I am only there one day a week, five hours of counselling is a very intense experience!

God clearly led me into this sort of work and whilst I really enjoy what I do (it can come as a welcome break from the relentless life of running a Church!), the reality is that when you don't have Jesus, all you've got left is counselling. The role of a counsellor is, arguably, similar to that of a priest except it lacks on formal christian framework. Counsellors are priests for the 21st Century! People will speak to me about incredibly personal matters, in some cases I am the first person they have ever talked to about their issues. People look to me to assist them in their journey of change. I am trusted implicitly and given considerable power by clients coming to see me. I am part of a wider 'professional' body of people who are trained to do this 'job'. The framework for counselling tends to regard people as having a capacity to change and it is this mystical, sometimes enigmatic process upon which counsellors draw much of their 'faith' in seeing a person change through the counselling sessions. 'Trust the process' was the mantra when I was training.

When you don't have Jesus, counselling is all you've got left. But with Jesus, the whole ballgame changes...

In Psalm 60:11-12, (NKJV) the Psalmist writes, "Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies." It is important that we care for one another and help and support those who are struggling, this is a biblical command! However, we must always steer people to God. Our 'help' is not to be a substitute for God but to point people towards Him. How many Christians try and take on a role in pastoral care they should never have?? They create a dependency on themselves rather than be vessels through which the care and love of God can flow.

My pastoral abilities are limited but God's love and care is limitless. My patience is finite but He never grows tired or weary. I can't change anyone but the power of God dwelling in and through us can and will change the world. Authentic emotional healing starts and ends with Jesus because He has the power to do something about it. My wisdom is based on a very small part of a much bigger picture and, to be honest, is sometimes tainted with self-interest but God IS wisdom and He knows how best to handle a situation. All we have to do is ask.

Let me end by quoting from The Personalised Promise Bible, an excellent resource which takes every promise in the Bible and turns it into a statement of faith...

"I do not look to others as my first source of strength in times of trouble. I understand the limitations of man. What can a doctor do against the incurable? What can a psychiatrist do against the oppression of a demon? No, I will rely on God as my first source of strength, for with Him, I am assured that I will do valiantly and have the victory over every adversary in every circumstance."

Stop what you are doing and read this through again. Remind your self that the only person who can really help you is God. Turn to Him today, you won't be disappointed.

If It Matters To You, It Matters To God

2010-03-22T09:32:00.007Z

The opening chords of yesterday's worship time could not hide the deep, passionate desire of BCC to meet God. When I am leading worship, there are times when I can feel the Church pushing me forward; they do not need to be led, instead they do the leading. Powerful praise began to explode into the meeting as the Church completely engaged in the process, giving me a blasting as they went! We had an amazing time of testimony with lots of people coming forward to build up their own faith as well as everyone else's with declarations of God's goodness in trying times. This was followed by another fruitful encounter with the healing power of God; many people in the Church indicated that they had received prayer and seen God heal them.

God never rests or sleeps (Psalm 121). He is always pushing us forward into the good things of His kingdom. Yesterday, I gave a testimony about my knee being healed. I decided to go for a gentle run after Church and, rather disappointingly, it began to flare up again. I was gutted! I got back and started to allow all sorts of negative thoughts to come into my mind and then out of my mouth! I found it particularly challenging as I'd got up in front of you all and declared I was healed. In the middle of it all, I was reminded of something I had said during my testimony: "If it matters to you, it probably matters to God." Psalm 55:22 came into my mind. Here it is in a couple of different versions...

Psalm 55:22 (Amplified Bible)
"Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail)."

Psalm 55:22 (Contemporary English Version)
"Our LORD, we belong to you. We tell you what worries us and you won't let us fall."

Psalm 55:22 (The Message)
"Pile your troubles on God's shoulders — he'll carry your load, he'll help you out. He'll never let good people topple into ruin."

I knew God was speaking to me again and telling me to do the very thing we (i.e the pastors) tell you to do - believe, persevere and have faith! He IS interested in my knee and I can turn to Him and talk to Him about it. He DOES know about this and is not playing games. He WILL heal me but it will be in His way, in His time and has nothing to do with my training schedule! It may seem like a small thing (and, in the scheme of things it is!) but I know God cares about me and I can cast those cares upon Him just as this Psalm and 1 Peter 5:7 tells me to do.

What's on your mind today? Does it seem small, trivial and rather unworthy of any time and attention? Well, if it matters to you then it matters to God and do what His word tells you to do: talk to Him about it!

Who's Leading Who?

2010-03-19T11:45:00.003Z

The Psalms celebrate God's sovereignty, not just His omnipotence. One of the key themes being taught in BCC by Pastor John at this time is the need to integrate God's sovereignty into our lives and worldview. It is so easy for Christianity to slip into a human-made affair whereby we make something that simply meets our needs and does what we want. This is not a genuine expression of biblical revelation but a hideous, consumer-driven, man-made abomination masquerading as something more than it is. It is the equivalent of trying to put God on a lead.

In the book The Supremacy of Christ in a Post Modern World, Voddie Baucham Jr. makes a profound observation about the current state of this world (p.64), "The problem with the world is me. The problem is the fact that I not acknowledge the supremacy of Christ in truth. The problem is that I start with myself as the measure of all things. I judge God based upon how well he carries out my agenda for the world, and I believe in the supremacy of me in truth. As a result, I want a God who is omnipotent but not sovereign. If I have a God who is omnipotent but not sovereign, I can wield power. But if my God is both omnipotent and sovereign, I am at his mercy" (emphasis added).

How easy it is for self to elevate itself and displace God as Lord in our lives! How many of the so-called 'Words from God" peddled by Christian leaders are no more than thinly veiled projections of their own desires to run life their way; it's dupes gullible Christians because it is dressed up in an attractive religious package. Let's remind ourselves of the most well-known prayer of all times: The Lord's Prayer...Matthew 6:7-13 (The Message)

"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; do what's best— as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You're in charge! You can do anything you want! You're ablaze in beauty!"

It's the final line which states that God is in charge and He can do anything He wants; He is both omnipotent AND sovereign. God is not here to serve us, we are here to serve Him. Using the spiritual weapons of repentance and God's Word (the sword of the Spirit), look into your own life today and seek out and destroy any aspect of self that needs to be put to death. Don't let it lead your revelation otherwise you will be turning God into nothing more than a poodle on a lead...

Psalm Alarm

2010-03-18T09:53:00.003Z

At 7am on Tuesday I sent a text to all of Energy. It did not bless them as most of them were a) still asleep and b) had not put their mobile phones on silent. In that text I reminded them that we were going to be meeting in LIFE Groups and they needed to prepare by reading Psalm 19. These Groups stand for 'Living In Faith Everyday' and are same-sex groups that give us space to go deeper into God, build stronger friendships with one another and generate a sense of belonging to BCC.

As we gathered in our LIFE groups, I'd planned a session taking another look at worship. At this time, the worship in BCC is exploding in some very powerful and exciting ways. God is truly inhabiting the praises of His people. I wanted to remind the young people about the 'basics' so they too can understand what we do and why we do it. We reflected on three key learning points:

1. Worship is for life not just for Sunday
Romans 12:1-2 (The Message) says, "So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering.”

2. Everyone is made to worship (Matthew 22:37). It is not a case of IF we worship but WHAT we worship. Some people dedicate their lives to particular things or people, pouring out endless time, money and effort in the pursuit of this life. These gods can vary from sex to money to being liked to a sport to music to on-line game playing and so on. The list is endless. However, what this shows is that inbuilt in the heart of every human being is the desire to worship. The problem is, this urge is directed in the wrong direction.

3. Worship is about us loving God for Who He is and what He’s done. It is not simply singing a song (although that can be an expression of worship), but about worthship i.e. according to God a true sense of worth and value for who He is and what He's done. It always centres on Christ; it begins and ends with Him.

The Psalms are poems/songs of praise: "Psalm" literally means 'song' and there are 150 Holy-Spirit inspired songs of praise offering up to God complete devotion and love despite some extremely difficult circumstances. Expressing the songs of praise is an important part of our worship lives to God. Ephesians 5:19-20 (The Message) "Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ." Today, we too can sing new songs to God that come out of our own heart and lives of love and devotion to Him. Obviously they are NOT scripture but putting into words the overflow of our hearts is both biblical and beneficial.

On Tuesday night, we asked the LIFE Groups to put together their own simple 'psalm' to God. Here is what the boys came up with...

A PSALM OF ENERGY
Thanking the Lord for Our Gifts
Awesome God, you equip us to act your will for our lives.
Your imagination knows no end; each gift unique.
We thank you that you fill us up and we can share your word.
We need you God, in us to guide us.
Thank you Lord that you forgive us from our sins.
I thank you that you joyfully make us each unique.
Without you we wouldn't exist. Without you we would be lost.
We thank you that through our gifts, we can speak out to all the nations.
Jesus you rule over all things.
We pray that you will enhance our gifts to the full ... Amen ...

Have you sent up a fresh psalm of praise to the Lord today? Are you obeying Ephesians 5:19 and singing those new songs to God as an expression of your love and devotion to Him? Maybe it's time to do it again ...

Here Is Love...In Asda's Car Park!

2010-03-16T10:07:00.002Z

Yesterday, the new worship album from Bethel Church in Redding California arrived through my letter box. Based on a recommendation from a couple of friends in BCC, I was looking forward to hearing it. I needed to pop down to Asda to get a few things and decided to listen to it on my way down there in my car. I got to the car park and had to sit and wait for 15 minutes, such was the force of God's presence all over me in my seat. I was crying and a spirit of praise and worship and repentance came over me as He met me in that car park.

Just to be clear, this CD is not some sort of 'magic potion' that we can turn on. It simply opened my heart in worship to God and from that place He moved deep within my soul. Christians are far too gullible and demonstrate a classically post-modern, consumerist attitude as we all rush out and buy 'the Next Big Thing', expecting this book, or that CD or those conferences or that preacher will somehow make us 'better' Christians. No, it all begins and ends in the heart of the believer. Thank God that we have access to so many resources to help us in our faith but don't be a victim of marketing and exercise some discernment about who you read and what you listen to!

We all have challenging seasons and there are times when God steps back to see if we will step up. In my readings of the Psalms, I have noticed how often the writers are 'stepping up' and looking for God to move on their behalf; what is startling is the attitude in which they do this: it is not arrogant but it is very direct, firm and passionate.

Psalm 46:1-2 (Amplified) says, "God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains be shaken into the midst of the seas, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling and tumult. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!"

As I sat in my car in that car park, God proved once again that what He says is true: He is "very present". You can't make God meet you. But I know He longs to and delights in intimacy that transcends a hurried prayer or snatched bible reading. No, A god who is not 'very present' in our lives is no god at all.

Thank you God for meeting me again and drawing from me something that, I believe, really blessed your heart.

The Narrow Path

2010-03-15T13:15:00.002Z

Yesterday was another powerful time as we gathered to worship God and see what He wanted to do. The Church was packed and it warmed up in there pretty quickly - I got pretty hot and sweaty during the worship time! We are getting some new people coming along to see what we are up to and I also loved having the kids around (there are over 50 in the Sunday School these days!) who presented all the ladies with a bunch of daffs at the end of the meeting.

God is building up a momentum in our corporate meetings and all but the most hard-hearted fail to be touched and ministered to by His presence either in the worship, preached word or times of ministry (for example, once again we faithfully prayed for the sick).

Pastor John's message was particularly relevant and tied in with a book I've just started to dip into: a collection of essays edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor under the title of The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World. Using Jesus' teaching on the narrow and wide paths in Matthew 7, Pastor John (Maskell not Piper!) drew from Acts 4:32-35 some valuable insights into how these early believers were prepared by the Apostles to live on that narrow path, a daily continuous series of Holy Spirit-led choices and not just a 'one off' salvation encounter, and to face and endure the inevitable persecution which dispersed those first century Christians. You can listen to the whole message online now, if you wish (I'd recommend it) http://www.bristolcommunitychurch.org/podcasts.asp

What resonated with me is the juxtaposition between those early disciples and the Church in the 21st Century. David Wells writes in the above mentioned book (p,34), "Despite the few who wobbled, most of its [i.e. the early church] leaders maintained with an admirable tenacity the alternative view of life which was rooted in the apostolic teaching. They did not allow love to blur truth or to substitute for it but sought to live by both truth and love."

Many of us fail to walk the narrow road because we lack proper preparation from God's word (both in body, mind and soul) and turn instead to a cultural worldview that, in essence, completely opposes The Truth. This theological profanity is running rampant in our churches. Wells again observes (p.38), "The final verdict may not be in, but it seems quite apparent that while the culture is burning, the evangelical church is fiddling precisely because it has decided it must be so like the culture to be successful."

We are committed to pursuing Biblical truth and Kingdom love. We must resist this creeping post-modernity that masquerades as 'new revelation' and using the God's Word, drill down into it so we can expose it for what it is: a man-made religion that simply creates a god who accommodates who we are and what we want.

All Change

2010-03-12T09:27:00.002Z

Life is one season of change after another. Everything changes and unless we have a mindset that embraces this, we will struggle. One of the things I enjoy about youth work is how quickly they change; you see them grow and mature and move from childhood to adulthood in a short space of time and quite often their revelation of God changes as they do! No change is easy and when we talk about teenagers we even talk of 'growing pains', such is the profound affect of this process on their lives. Change can be viewed as negative or positive; a time of opportunity to embrace the new thing in our lives or to cling to the security of the past with all its pitfalls and problems. Think of the Israelites who embarked on one of the most intense and dramatic journeys of change ever ... a whole generation did not make it. Think of some of the Psalms and the scale of change affecting the lives of the writers of those songs of faith ... worship was often the place from which they could handle such deep and profound changes in their lives.

Change can be on a corporate level as well as on an individual basis; whole nations can be facing serious change and empires have fallen because of an inability to manage these times - the UK being a case in point! In my 18 years of being in BCC I have seen a lot of changes! I am a very different person now than I was when I first attended the Church as a law student back in 1992. We are meeting in a totally different place! There are many, many new people in the Church who were not here 15 years ago. God has done some truly awesome things because we have co-operated with His work of change in our lives. The Bible makes clear that our whole lives should be punctuated and characterised by Holy Spirit change in our lives as we are transformed into His likeness: 2 Cor 3:18, "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

Today is no exception and we are moving into an exciting time of change as BCC grows and matures. There are new leadership structures coming online including a wider pastoral team to serve and minister to the Church. As I have been reflecting on all this, I was reminded of Pastor Paul Taylor's prophecy back in October 2008. In it he saw four prophetically significant pictures including one of an air balloon. He said, "God is bringing about change that will enable you as a Church to go and fulfil all that He purposed for you. A breaking away of all hindrances and restrictions - that will enable the balloon to not just go up but to fly as the wind blows and directs its journey. Over these next 2 years, I heard Him say - out of the current leadership - NEW LEADERSHIP FOR THE NEW THINGS - will be released and developed for the new territory to be taken. I heard the Lord say, NEW WINE SKINS, for they will be formed - pliable and flexible for the NEW WINE that is being poured out."

It is reassuring to know that change is always subordinated to God's sovereignty; He rules over all and the truth of this brings us great peace and certainty as circumstances and situations change around us. His rule is the compass by which we set our course through this never ending cycle of change and we can be excited about all that is to come because God is good and nothing can ever change that.

Have a great weekend, don;t forget the Saturday morning prayer meeting (7.30am) and a very Happy Mothers' Day to all you Mums out there! See you back here on Monday.

Girls of God

2010-03-11T11:04:00.002Z

Last Friday, I drove four of the energy girls down to Croyde. They were with me for about 3 hours and when we arrived at St. George's House, it was clear to me that we have some very special young women of God in BCC. Despite living in this dark, sinful, filthy world, these girls were living for God. Their conversations were righteous and even when they were discussing some challenging situations or friendship issues, they did so in a way that did not offend my spirit. Their priority was not to lose their virginity as soon as possible or find their esteem and value in the arms of teenage boys who just view them as sexual objects there to satiate their own lustful desires, no, they knew who they were because their faith in Christ defines them. As well as being very pretty they also carried a spiritual beauty that is so different to what we see in current female youth culture.

On Saturday evening, Pastor John spoke about Mary (the mother of Jesus). It was clear that many of the girls and young women in Energy carried a similar prophetic attitude: to 'give birth' to the character of Jesus in their own lives and to see that impact the world in which they live. He invited them to come forward and they all did. As I saw this, I realised again that God is giving us an important job: to disciple these girls and help them become powerful women of God. This is not just 'women's work', i.e. only for the Mums and ladies in the Church but a prophetic job for all of us, men included. Mary was able to be all Jesus needed her to be through the support and commitment of Joseph. Just in case it had slipped your attention - he was a man.

Pray for the girls in Energy. Pray that we become those 'Josephs' in their lives; we have a revelation of who they are and what they will become, we protect and guard that divine call on their lives, we treat them in a Kingdom way never putting them down or using them for our own ends, we are willing to live sacrificially and we ably assist and support them so they can grow into all God.

p.s. sorry for the rather stereotypical image accompanying this blog entry but I was not going to put 'pretty teenage girls' in to Google: my Covenant Eyes Report would explode!!

Youth Weekend Away Part 2

2010-03-09T09:51:00.001Z

From the opening note of our worship time, the Saturday evening meeting began to flow with the life of the Holy Spirit. Pastor John shared about heaven and hell, drawing from the book Visions Beyond the Veil. It had a powerful impact on all of us and the meeting continued way past the official ‘end time’ as the young people sat and encountered God in a fresh way. We also spent time praying for the girls who wanted to become like ‘Mary’, an amazing woman of God who ‘gave birth’ to Jesus. Don’t worry, it has nothing to do with them getting pregnant!! No, it is a metaphor for growing and demonstrating Jesus’ life and love in their own lives and seeing this impact and influence the world around them. We have some very special girls in Energy, I’ll be doing a separate blog about this later in the week. The day came to an end as ‘Intro Matt’ made a welcome return and we had some fun and games as the youth tried to ‘Beat the Leaders’. All in all, the Leaders did pretty well!

Sunday dawned bright and sunny and full of the fresh mercies of God. We had a short time of worship and then Pastor John spent some time talking about sex and relationships with the older youth (Year 10+) whilst Sue and Alison did something a bit more ‘age appropriate’ with the younger ones. Referencing his message from the previous evening, he explained more about making choices that will help us enjoy ‘heavenly sex’ or ‘hellish sex’. The world has destroyed, damaged and demolished anything good relating to sex, relationships, marriage and more. Satan knows that this is one area in which human beings are vulnerable and he makes no allowances for teenagers! Pastor John’s message was powerfully prophetic but intensely practical as well and his words really hit home. The young people listened carefully and I knew that if they really caught hold of the revelation behind the words, they would truly grasp that God wants the best for them and that, through the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, CAN walk a sexually pure life in this sexually immoral world.

As the weekend drew to an end, we finished with one of the ultimate expressions of unity and a rich means of grace to our lives: communion. We broke bread together and ministered to one another before sharing briefly something that God had done for each person over the course of the weekend; people had really entered their ‘promised land’.

Thanks to all of you for your prayer and support. Thanks also to the team who came and helped out, especially to our Friday night Taxi Driver (Marky P) and Kat and Jamie for chef and worship leading contributions respectively. Most of all, thank you to the Young People of BCC: it is a privilege to be your Pastor and see you grow up both in the natural and in the spiritual too. God has gifted me with some amazing teenagers and despite all your ups and downs, I can honestly say, I think I have the best job in BCC!

Youth Weekend Away Part 1

2010-03-08T09:29:00.003Z

Yesterday, the BCC Youth returned from our annual weekend away to meet God, hang out and have some fun. It was a truly special time and I’m going to do a two part Blog outlining, in a bit more detail, some of the highlights of the weekend. On Friday, twenty young people and assorted Leaders piled into a load of cars and our adventure began. We battled through a surprisingly clear M5 and stopped off at one of those ‘license-to-print-your-own-money’ service stations, for coffee and a toilet visit.

Although arriving in Croyde a bit later than usual, the young people were in good heart and after some dinner, our first meeting gently drew us into God’s presence as He embraced us in His arms of love. I briefly shared that this weekend was an important one in the purposes of God; we were entering a ‘promised land’ where God had something special for every single person but that would only be appropriated through spiritual boldness, unity and bringing Him into all we do (Proverbs 3:5-7).

I sensed that some of the youth were quite war-weary and battling with personal challenges. Young People have to live in a cynical, faithless world, they must continually secure victory over the temptations flaunted at them every day through the media, friends and teen culture. They must resist the lies of the enemy. Consistently living in that dark, godless society can create a bit of a ‘siege mentality’ and it took some time for their defences to come down and for them to soften and warm up. This was going to be a weekend of receiving from God and being refreshed by Him. Our job, like Aaron and Hur, was to hold up these young people so they could win their battles and possess the land (Exodus 17:10-13).

On Saturday, we had a short morning session and then went to Woolacombe to do some street evangelism. The faith of these young people never ceases to amaze me; every single one of them went out and there was not one word of complaint. God used them to share their faith and some prayed with people on the streets! Most importantly, we prayer-walked all the main streets in the town and ensured that the weekend contained prophetic focus on reaching the lost. Sometimes all God wants us to be is available, He will do the rest.

The afternoon was spent on the beach and out came the volleyball net as well as the coffee and packed lunches ably prepared by Chef Jamie (no…not that one). It was a bit chilly but we had a good time relaxing and running around. On our return to St. George’s House, Pastor John and Linda had arrived and the evening meeting was going to be a very powerful time….

More about that tomorrow!

Here Comes Croyde...

2010-03-04T15:21:00.003Z

Here it comes...our once-a-year-but-always-awesome youth residential. Tomorrow, 20 young people and a few leaders will be heading down the M5, destination: Croyde. This is our third visit to this amazing part of the world and expectations for the weekend are sky high, as they should be! It's easy to look back and reminisce about 'the good old days' and last year's trip culminated in a truly astounding meeting on the Friday night that ranks in my Top 3 All Time God Experiences EVER.

But that was last year and this is er...this year.

I was praying about this trip and felt the Lord remind me of the Israelites' travels that brought them to the cusp of the Promised Land. But whilst it was there, they still had to possess it. I believe this weekend sees us in a similar place: heading for an awesome time of blessing, abundance and outbreaks of God's Kingdom BUT we will have to fight for it and determine in our minds that we will take possession of all He has for us, regardless of the natural circumstances or challenging odds.

You can help though! Please pray for us and all those involved in taking us into this 'Promised Land'. We do have a plan for the weekend but, as is the hallmark of BCC, we aim to follow God's lead and if that means tearing up the plan and going 'cross country' then that is what we will do. Pray for all the practical matters including transport, protection, the food (always an important consideration when teenagers are involved!) and a powerful sense of spiritual unity.

I know it is going to be a really special time full of fun, happy memories, laughter, good times and encounters with God that take change us forever. We'll probably drink several gallons of coffee too...lol

Soaking Session

2010-03-04T13:41:00.003Z

Last week things got really busy. There is a lot going on at the moment and I'd got to the end of another day having been up very early in the morning for a prayer meeting. It was before homegroup and I had a choice: meet God or watch tv. I made the right choice. I turned off the tv and flipped open my Bible. I was finding things quite dry and hard to concentrate: I really wanted to dose off! However, time and time again I find God draws near to me when I reach out to Him and today was no exception. In that moment, I felt the Holy Spirit say, "lie down and soak in me". I was not convinced lying down when I was tired anyway was a good idea and thought it must be me telling myself what I wanted to hear! But no, those same words came to me again and I succumbed. I lay down on the floor, turned up my worship music and just soaked in the Holy Spirit.

There are times when we need to be actively in pursuit of God, there are times when we need to engage with steely determination and unwavering commitment. However, there are other times when we just need to sit at His feet, wait on Him and let Him fill us. As a Christian and someone involved in leadership, I need to be able to minister out of an overflow of God regardless of how I am feeling in myself. It is a lot easier to do that when I have something to give because I have received something from the Lord. He loves to meet us, fill us and minister to us. As I lay on the floor, eyes closed, resting and relaxing in God, I felt His presence and pleasure. My spirit prayed silent prayers and I let God get hold of my life in a fresh way.

On Tuesday, we had a youth meeting and after a busy evening of playing games (ankle ball), hearing God's word for our weekend away, praying, worshipping, deciding on some practical matters for Croyde and more, I was suddenly reminded about my 'soaking session' last week. Expecting only a few young people to take this opportunity to lie down on the floor and soak in God as we came around and ministered to them, I was pretty taken aback when all of them responded (except one). The whole atmosphere in the room changed and I knew we had found what God really wanted for us that evening. The next 20 minutes or so were spent just waiting on Him, letting Him move in our lives in whatever way He wanted.

Sometimes we need to soak. Go and run that spiritual bath today!

Time to Talk

2010-03-01T09:52:00.003Z

Phew, what a weekend! It was great to see the Church packed with people yesterday morning, at one point I think it was standing room only at the back! Once again, we were committed to praying for all those in pain, moved and motivated by the compassion of God. It was a powerful time. I loved hearing the many testimonies from people and Jaqui Steer did an outstanding talk that was thirty minutes of pure gold! Well done Jaqui - it takes a lot of nerve to get up in front of a packed church and speak. This week is going to be another full-on 7 days as we build up to the Youth weekend away which kicks off on Friday (more about that in a later blog entry) and Rin starts her new job here as BCC Office Manager and PA to Pastor John. As Jaqui said yesterday, walking with God is an adventure!

I dipped into another episode of 'Skins' last week and was going to turn it off at one point but was intrigued by something which really caught my attention: the programme was forcing its viewers to consider to whom they turn for help. One of the main characters was struggling with a serious metal health issue and it centred around her boyfriend (Freddie) who was trying to get advice and support, with varying degrees of success. He talked to a member of staff at school who then 'doubled up' as the School Counsellor (completely unethical by the way!), he talked to a family member and some friends too.

Society offers many different options for those who 'want to talk'. There are helplines galore, a plethora of 'Experts' all willing to offer you their advice on any given subject, support workers, charities and the more traditional forms of support from family and friends. I am a Counsellor and people come and tell me some of the most intimate details of our lives. Yet for the Christian, we have access to Someone Who can change things for the better. God can provide us with counsel quite unlike anyone and anything else. My study of the Psalms continues to illuminate my understanding of the very real help offered by God to those who find themselves in the worst possible scenarios. Psalm 19:7-9 (The Message) says,

"The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. God's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree."

When we turn to Him, this is what we access in our lives. For those of us who follow God, we need to ensure that we carry His counsel (as described in the above Psalm) into the lives of others. Sympathy, platitudes, well meaning advice and blind optimism a re all well and good buy it is God's revelation that makes a difference.

The Porn Storm Part 2

2010-02-26T10:03:00.002Z

Today's news is full of comment and analysis of some startling new research commissioned by the Home Office which explores the 'oversexualisation of children' in 21st Century Britain. Of particular concern is the way boys and girls, being exposed to a steady 'drip drip' of soft porn imagery, are being sexualised at a far earlier age than in previous generations. Through so-called, 'Lads Mags', the growing use of sex and sexual imagery in advertising targeting teens and pre-teens, computer games and the sheer volume of explicit, easily-accessible hardcore porn on the internet via WAP phones and home pcs, we now have children and young people viewing porn as 'the norm'. The results for their lives and for our culture as a whole are extremely damaging.

"Young girls wear "porn star" T-shirts and it is possible to buy babies' bibs with the slogan: "All daddy wanted was a ****job", according to Dr. Linda Papadopoulos (a clinical psychologist at London Metropolitan University and author of the report), "taboos have been pushed back so far. They are taking their script directly from pornography."

At this point, I would like to simply present the Bible's teaching on sex. Yes, this has been openly mocked and ridiculed by 'experts' for years; dismissed as 'restrictive and prudish' by so many sections of our liberal society who still want to live in the sexual revolution of the 1960s and cling to their own naive notion that 'freedom of speech' justifies the exposure of teens and pre-teens to a highly damaging sexual philosophy, even if it means they have to suffer for it.

Firstly, God is PRO sex. He designed men and women to 'fit together'! (Genesis 1:27 / 2:18-25)
Secondly, sex is more than biology: it carries with it a spiritual dynamic (Genesis 2:24 / Matthew 19:4-6).
Thirdly, it is an expression of commitment (the theological word is 'covenant') and is only appropriate in the context of marriage (i.e. a 'covenant' between a man and a woman). This is the place where such an ultimate expression of physical, emotional and spiritual intimacy can be appropriately and safely expressed.
Fourthly, sex is a gift not a god and unless handled in a righteous way (i.e doing what the Bible says), it will quickly take over and rule a person. Like all things, it has a context and when taken out of that biblical context, it becomes something it was never intended to be.

As a Youth Leader, it is my job to teach Truth. For me, the Bible has all we need to live life God's way here on earth. Through my words and my actions, my prayer is that we can help show young people the way forward so they too can live sexually pure lives in a world that advocates a sexual philosophy that, according to their own research, does more harm than good.

Have a good weekend, I'll see you back here on Monday.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/clamp-down-on-lads-mags-to-avoid-pornification-of-society-says-study-1911324.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8537734.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/feb/25/lads-magazines-restricted-home-office-study